Home Pregnancy Tests: Here's the 411

When you think you might be pregnant, the desire to take the test already and find out is intense -- and a lot of potential baby mamas-to-be around here are talking about it. When to test, which test to use, how accurate the results are. Here's some basic info on test day.

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When to test is a biggie. According to the Mayo Clinic, as tempting as it might be to test early, it's better to wait until after you've missed your period -- testing too early can sometimes yield inaccurate results (most likely a false-negative), as some women develop detectable amounts of pregnancy hormones later than others. (That said, some mamas do take their chances and test early.)

Are they accurate? According to the American Pregnancy Association, home pregnancy tests are about 97% accurate if performed correctly. And again, waiting to test will make the results more reliable.

Which test should you take? GoneHollywood wondered if the inexpensive tests at the dollar store worked as well as the more expensive varieties found in drug stores -- moms shared differing stories. Some found they were accurate; others said they didn't get the most reliable results and in the end they bought a spendier test to find out the news.